G2E 2006 an Enormous Success for the Gaming Industry The 2006 Global Gaming Expo (G2E), held November 14th through November 16th at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drew a record number of attendees, and was regarded by attendees and vendors alike as a great success. The annual event, which is hosted by the American Gaming Association (AGA), was marked by the international expansion of the gaming industry, incredible technological advances, and a strong presence from Indian Country. I think this year's G2E really showcased the growing diversification of our industry, said AGA President and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. From the newest trends in F&B and entertainment to the latest technological innovations driving the casino experience of the future, G2E showed just how far we've come as an industry and where the future is set to take us. G2E 2006 featured a multitude of panel Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. discussions and conferences on topics specific to every facet of the gaming industry, including an unprecedented number of panels that were specific to tribal government. The keynote panel, Tribal Gaming Summit: The Future of Indian Gaming, discussed gaming developments in Indian Country and the resulting economic impact. The panel included Kurt Luger, Executive Director of the Great Plains Indian Gaming Association, Anthony Miranda, Chairman of the California Indian Gaming Association, and Ernie Stebbins, Executive Director of the Washington In the final keynote of G2E,Ernie Stevens moderates a discussion between Native American gaming leaders, including Delia Carlyle, Anthony Miranda, Ernie Stebbins and Tim Wapato, about the future of Indian gaming in the U.S. Attendees await the opening of this year s Global Gaming Expo (G2E). Indian Gaming Association. Moderated by Ernie Stevens, Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, the panelists discussed gaming developments in Indian Country and the resulting economic impact. Indian Country is strong, Stevens said of the high attendance levels. The turnout for Indian Country reflects that we're here getting our work done. The breakout sections for tribal gaming also featured a comprehensive panel on the Class II controversy titled Seeking Clarity: What Exactly Is Class II Gaming? The panel, which included Phil Hogen, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, discussed the NIGC's proposed Class II regulations from every industry perspective. Emerging technology was another hallmark of this year's G2E. The 2006 installment of the G2E Future Watch Series, an annual research survey conducted in conjunction with G2E, examined the present and future role of technology in the gaming and entertainment industry through in-depth surveys of 16 leading casino industry executives and analysts. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed concluded that the way casino operators make use of technology is very critical to their success. The keynote panel, State of the Industry: The Next Generation of Global Gaming, focused on the industry's technological advancement as well as its international expansion. Moderated by Frank Fahrenkopf, Jr., the panel consisted of international industry leaders, including Terry Lanni, Chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage, and T.J. Matthews, CEO of International Gaming Technology. The panel discussed technology ranging from server-based gaming to RFID tracking systems and agreed that technology is changing the way customers enjoy gaming entertainment as well as the way gaming companies conduct business. It was widely felt, though, that these new technologies would not be adopted by the industry unless they can offer an improved entertainment experience for customers. The panel also discussed the possible effects that the international expansion of the gaming industry 30 Indian Gaming December 2006
will have on the U.S. market. I think international expansion is going to add to our industry here, stated Terry Lanni. As the industry becomes more global, we're going to see an increasing number of international visitors here at home. Another G2E highlight was the sixth annual American Gaming Association Communications Awards show. MGM Mirage was the big winner, with awards for Best Customer Publication and Best Direct Mail Campaign. Native American casinos were also well represented at the awards, with Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino winning Best Web Site The Las Vegas Convention Center was packed as G2E came into full swing. and Foxwoods Resort Casino winning Best Print Ad Campaign. Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. was given the inaugural award for Best Public Service Announcement. G2E, as always, presented everyone in attendance with networking opportunities as well as opportunities to promote their companies and organizations. I think the show is wonderful, said Diane Wyss, who handles casino and industry relations for NIIGA. It's good exposure for Indian gaming and our Associate Member program. One of the focuses of NIGA's booth at this year's show was its raffle to benefit the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation Scholarship Fund. The items being raffled include a beautiful quilt hand made by Native quilter Viola Colombe. The final drawing will be held March 28th, 2007, at the NIGA tradeshow. With such a high volume of tribal attendees and a record number of tribal conference sessions, G2E 2006 was a successful event for Indian Country. From an Indian gaming standpoint, it just gets bigger and bettor for us, said Steve Cadue, Tribal Council Chairman of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas. Cadue also noted new gaming technology to be one of the show's biggest highlights. It's exciting, it's entertaining, and it's always changing. That's why these kinds of tradeshows are so important for the Indian gaming industry to attend. Gamemakers at G2E Unveil Exciting, Innovative Games and Systems The 2006 Global Gaming Expo was a monumental event in terms of the technological advancements introduced by the industry's leading game manufacturers. Crowds of attendees flocked around vendor booths to get hands-on demonstrations of the new, groundbreaking systems that will alter the landscape of the gaming industry in the months and years ahead. This exciting presentation of revolutionary gaming systems was extraordinary and Indian Gaming magazine took to the show floor to learn more about the innovative new systems available in the industry. AC Coin & Slot, known for its creative bonusing games, introduced its new brand: Mega Bonus Slots. Mega Bonus Slots starts with one of the best math models on the market, then enhances the playing experience through design and merchandising, bringing enjoyment to players and excitement to the casino floor. The driving philosophy behind AC Coin's products is simplicity. Games are kept straightforward and consistent in play and design. Spontaneous bonus events, innovative package design, excellent sound packages, and dazzling lights are just some of the elements incorporated into the Mega Bonus Slots product line, which will be an umbrella brand for all AC Coin bonusing games, merchandising and marketing efforts. The bonus round in AC Coin's Super Slotto Celebration begins with the sound of Kool and the Gang's famous hit Celebration. Players are then prompted to hit the flashing December 2006 Indian Gaming 31
button that starts the over-sized Slotto balls bouncing and hopping within the massive 8-ft. Super Slotto Celebration Dome. Super Bankroll is a larger version of AC Coin's hit game Bankroll. The bonus round begins with the classic rock hit Money (That's What I Want) and uses a large strip of money that runs over and around the pillars in the top box like a massive horizontal printing press. Super Slotto Celebration was a crowd-gathering event at G2E and it uses 25% less floor space than the current most popular community game. Super Bankroll is also eye-catching in its packaging and design and can fit on almost any floor, unlike other much larger community games. Atronic presented two new linked gaming concepts - Hot Link and Mystery Magic. These unique products allow an operator to set up a linked progressive bank with any Atronic title that is Hot Link or Mystery Magic capable. In addition, all future Atronic titles will be linkable via either Hot Link or Mystery Magic. Hot Link is a symbol-driven progressive concept that allows the operator flexibility to select any Hot Link capable title and insert it into a progressive bank. All Hot Link capable titles provide a unique rapid hit progressive paytable that ensures frequent wins of the progressive. A unique Hot Link merchandising package has been created with signage, video loop and end cap signs. Each Hot Link capable title will also sport a Hot Link-branded, on-screen progressive meter. Mystery Magic is a mystery driven link where no winning combination is required to win the jackpot. All Mystery Magic capable titles provide a unique rapid hit progressive paytable that ensures frequent wins of the progressive. A unique Mystery Magic merchandising package has been created with signage, video loop, and end cap signs. Each Mystery Magic capable title will also sport a Mystery Magicbranded, on-screen progressive meter. Moving toward its 75th Anniversary year in 2007, the Bally Technologies display at G2E was brimming with excitement. The headliner in its expansive exhibit space was the unveiling of the Alpha Elite series of games, which feature distinctive cabinet styles and offer gaming operators an unprecedented level of flexibility. The new series sports a common base designed to allow operators to switch back and forth between a reel-spinner and a video slot. This series of cabinet configurations includes the Alpha Elite V32 with a striking 32-inch vertical touch-screen; the Alpha Elite V20/20 with twin 20-inch stacked LCD touch-screens; and the Alpha Elite V20 with a single 20-inch display. Bally also featured GameMaker, the legendary name that launched a revolution in multi-game platforms, in a new highdefinition format. With razor-sharp clarity, enhanced audio and the solid reliability of Alpha OS, GameMaker HD provides the unsurpassed flexibility of a technologically superior multigame/multi-denom gaming experience in three distinctive cabinet styles: CineVision wide-screen, Alpha Elite V20 and Alpha Elite V20/20. Bally also featured the all-new Playboy Free Games S9000 reel-spinner. With five illuminated mechanical reels and a crisp video top box, Playboy Free Games exudes sex appeal with a promise of exciting bonus action on every spin. 25 gorgeous Playboy Playmates grace the eye-popping Free Games Bonus, a dramatic increase from the original number on the video slot. Cadillac Jack showcased its new wide area progressive, Cadillac Cash, and dazzled attendees. The unique new progressive features instant cash payouts with an expected average jackpot of $250,000, all of which would be paid out to the winner in full. With multiple game themes linked to a common progressive jackpot, Cadillac Cash is anchored by three of Cadillac Jack's top performing games - Rock Paper Scissors, Dr. StrangeLuck, and Lusty Devil. The exciting new progressive was featured in both English and Spanish themes and progressive displays. 32 Indian Gaming December 2006
Cadillac Jack also provided intimate previews of its new Vision Yield Management system to special guests throughout each day of the show. The new web-based, predictive analysis tool helps casino operators maximize their profit based upon actual business analytics. The Vision Yield Management system works seamlessly with Cadillac Jack's server-based systems, as well as other server-based systems, to analyze slot machine performance and forecast trends in order to determine the most efficient and profitable point at which to make theme changes. The company also showcased its newest video and mechanical reel games for the Class II and Class III gaming markets. Based on Cadillac Jack's industry leading server-based game technology, the company's games are able to quickly and easily transform from a Class II game to a Class III game format right on the casino floor. New video reel game titles include Genie's Jackpot, Fruit Party and Wildball Tsunami II. IGT's expansive booth featured over 400 games, with a wide array of server-based products such as downloadable LCD buttons. This sb product allows operators to instantly change the line configuration for any video slot game, rather than having to switch the buttons out manually. With IGT's sb Service Window, players will never have to hunt the floor for their favorite games again. They can just insert their players club card and a list of their favorite games will be displayed right on the screen. Another highlight of the IGT booth was its new Guaranteed Play feature, which revolutionizes the way slot play is sold to customers. With Guaranteed Play, customers can buy pre-paid blocks of play for the most popular games on the slot floor, giving operators the ability to guarantee players a certain amount of entertainment for a certain price. The blocks of play, representing a set number of poker hands or reel spins, are delivered in advance as pre-paid Guaranteed Play Tickets that can be inserted into machines on IGT's EZ Pay Ticket System. This revolutionary feature was demonstrated with IGT's video poker machines with the Guaranteed Play option. The introduction of this feature to the market is projected for 2007 for six poker game families. The second release of Guaranteed Play to introduce the feature will be introduced on new and popular IGT video slots. Casinos can combine pre-paid Play Tickets with lodging, entertainment, dining, spa or shopping offerings to create an all-inclusive Value Package. The third release will introduce the feature on new and popular IGT reel games and will also introduce more sophisticated Value Packages as marketing tools. At the Konami display, all eyes were on the new Konami Casino Management System. The system can be replicated to multiple sites, acting like the central nervous system of a casino. Through real-time, accurate, streaming information operators will find out what is happening and where it is happening instantly. The result will be better slot machine operations and the system can even make informed game mix and marketing decisions. The system's event reporting provides user-friendly data inquiry and graphic report generation via Oracle Discoverer. This sort of real patron insight can aid in the creation of meaningful incentives and targeted loyalty programs. The system also has unlimited database server scalability, allowing users to maintain years of online data, perform theoretical tracking by game and patron, and take advantage of True-Time, multi-site functionality of replicated patron data. December 2006 Indian Gaming 33
Nova Gaming showcased its cutting-edge technologies with its Reeless Slot Series. The first games specifically designed for the Reeless Slot Series (Just Chillin and Busy Beaver ) are based on patent pending game play and feature a virtual 3-D world where symbols are free from the boundaries of the classical slot reel. Animated symbols are presented in continuous streams throughout various paths within the 3D world. Symbols stop in formations that are easily recognizable to players, yet completely different from any other game on the market. The fully interactive 3D bonus rounds immerse players in another world where winning and fun coincide. Housed in Nova's TrimCab slim line/space saving cabinet, the brandnew Ultimate Gaming Platform (UGP ) provides ultra-high frame rates, ultra-high resolutions (up to 2048 x 1526) as well as ultra-fidelity stereo sounds. Rocket Gaming Systems generated a lot of excitement among G2E attendees, showcasing 11 new innovative games. Crowds gathered for demonstrations of Rocket's playerselected, multi-denominational games loaded with a multitude of exciting features for player enjoyment. WMS Gaming demonstrated several product highlights for G2E attendees, including the latest version of the company's WAGE-NET (Wide Area Game Enhanced Network) technology. This cutting-edge technology is the foundation of a networked casino environment that enables entirely new innovative forms of player experiences and game play mechanics. With WMS' server-enabled technology casino operators can remotely reconfigure games and download new content and peripheral updates to manage their slot floor from their data centers. G2E attendees also witnessed a demonstration of WMS' first server-enabled product, Monopoly Big Event, which uniquely provides table game excitement in a slot machine. The Big Even server technology transforms the slot floor into a lively, communal gaming experience, made possible by its WAGE- NET enabled innovative game content. WMS also demonstrated its new sensory immersion gaming product line, which is designed through an exclusive arrangement with the BOSE Corporation. Sitting at a Top Gun game, players are immersed in an innovative, realtime 3D, multisensory experience. Based on Paramount Pictures' classic feature film, the Top Gun gaming machine couples a revolutionary new sound experience utilizing the BOSE 3Space audio system with a new, real-time, 3D graphics engine enabled by technology developed in partnership with ATI Technologies, Inc. The company's Transmissive Reels gaming system combines the traditional player appeal of a mechanical reel gaming machine with the interactive and rich graphical interface of real-time, 3D visuals enabled on a CPU-NXT2 system. Reflecting WMS' introduction of breakthrough technology, graphically rich video content is projected over mechanical reels to create unique game play, visually engaging levels of player entertainment and endless winning possibilities. This technology combines the best of what players love about traditional mechanical reels and video reel products. 34 Indian Gaming December 2006